Container and opening arrangement for beverage production

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods and containers for forming a beverage. A container includes a closure arranged with a movable element that is movable to pierce a membrane and permit beverage material in the container to exit. The movable element can include a piercing element that pierces the membrane. Gas can be introduced into the container to force beverage material to exit the container. A gas inlet port can be provided with the closure and arranged to mate with a gas source of a beverage machine.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/428,900 filed on 1 Dec. 2016,titled “Container and Opening Arrangement for Beverage Production,” theentire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentireties.

BACKGROUND

The exemplary system and methods described herein relate to containersfor holding a beverage material and methods for accessing suchcontainers.

Historically, a number of self-serve appliances have been developedwherein a user desiring to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee merely needs toinsert a cartridge or capsule containing powder instant flavor into theself-serve appliance. The appliance then opens the cartridge or capsuleinternal to the machine and combines the flavored powder with water togenerate the desired beverage.

A number of different piercing elements are used by the prior art topierce the cartridges or capsules, thereby allowing for the generationof the desired beverage. U.S. Pat. No. 7,316,178 to Halliday et. al.teaches a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage from acartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients including a firstpiercing element for forming an inlet in a cartridge received in thebeverage preparation machine, and a second piercing element for formingan outlet in the cartridge. According to Halliday, the first and secondpiercing elements are formed as a single removable unit that forms apart of the beverage preparation machine. However, with Halliday andother traditional self-serve appliances, including the piercing elementas part of the appliance creates a location susceptible tocross-contamination or reduced sterility.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the exemplary system and method relate to a container thatcan be used to make a beverage, such as a carbonated and/or flavoredbeverage, a still flavored beverage, a hot flavored beverage, andothers. While not required, the container can be usable with a beveragemachine which can use the container and its contents to form a beverage.In some embodiments, a container can hold a beverage material that canbe used to make a beverage, for example by mixing the beverage materialwith water or other liquid. A beverage material included in a containercan include any suitable beverage making materials (beverage material),such as concentrated syrups, ground coffee or liquid coffee extract, tealeaves, dry herbal tea, powdered beverage concentrate, dried fruitextract or powder, natural and/or artificial flavors or colors, acids,aromas, viscosity modifiers, clouding agents, antioxidants, powdered orliquid concentrated bouillon or other soup, powdered or liquid medicinalmaterials (such as powdered vitamins, minerals, bioactive ingredients,drugs or other pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, etc.), powdered orliquid milk or other creamers, sweeteners, thickeners, and so on. (Asused herein, “mixing” of a liquid with a beverage material includes avariety of mechanisms, such as the dissolving of substances in thebeverage material in the liquid, the extraction of substances from thebeverage material, and/or the liquid otherwise receiving some materialfrom the beverage material or otherwise combining with the beveragematerial).

In one aspect of the exemplary system and method, a beverage containerincludes a vessel having an internal space and an opening to theinternal space. In some embodiments, the opening to the internal spacecan be located at a lower or bottom side of the vessel. For example, thevessel can include a bottom, a sidewall extending upwardly from thebottom, and a top at an upper portion of the sidewall, and the openingcan be located at the bottom. A beverage material can be located in theinternal space, and a closure can be attached to the vessel and closethe opening, e.g., to help keep the beverage material in the internalspace. The closure can include a pierce-able membrane that seals theopening closed and a movable element positioned outside of the internalspace that is movable relative to the membrane. The movable element canpierce the membrane so as to allow the beverage material to exit theinternal space, as well as to introduce gas into the internal space toaid the beverage material in exiting the vessel. In one embodiment, themovable element can include a piercing element movable to pierce themembrane, a channel to conduct flow of beverage material from theinternal space, and a gas inlet port arranged to couple with a gassupply of a beverage machine and deliver gas into the internal spacethrough a hole in the membrane to force beverage material to flow intothe channel.

The closure can engage the vessel in different ways, such by a snap fitto the vessel at the opening, by welding, an adhesive, threadedengagement, etc. The closure can have a pathway extending from a top ofthe closure to a bottom of the closure, and the membrane can be attachedin the closure and/or at the opening of the vessel to occlude thepathway. In some embodiments, the membrane can include a sheet ofmaterial that is impermeable, such as a polymer/foil laminate, a foil, apolymer sheet, etc. In some cases, the closure can include a wall, suchas a cylindrically shaped wall, that defines a pathway through theclosure, and the wall can include a ledge at an inner surface of thewall, e.g., that extends radially inwardly from the inner surface. Themembrane can be attached to the ledge to occlude the pathway, e.g., byadhering the membrane to the ledge so as to cover an opening formed bythe ledge.

In one embodiment, the movable element can be positioned in the pathwayand be movable toward the membrane such that a piercing element piercesthe membrane to open the pathway to flow. In some cases, the movableelement includes a disc mounted for movement toward the membrane, andthe piercing element can extend upwardly from the disc to pierce themembrane with movement of the disc toward the membrane. A channel canextend through the piercing element, e.g., to provide a flow path forbeverage material to exit.

In some cases, the closure includes a detent arranged to maintain themovable element at a first position in which the membrane is not piercedby the piercing element, and at a second position in which the membraneis pierced by the piercing element. Such a configuration can allow auser to readily determine whether a container has been used to form abeverage or not, e.g., because the closure positioned in the secondposition indicates a used state for the container.

In one embodiment, the gas inlet port of the movable element can includean annular groove formed on a bottom side of the movable element and oneor more gas openings through the movable element to conduct gas from theannular groove to an upper side of the movable element. Such anarrangement can allow for easier mating of a gas supply of a beveragemachine because the annular groove can mate with the supply in anyrotational position of the container. In some cases, the piercingelement can extend upwardly from the upper side of the movable elementand be arranged to pierce the membrane with upward movement of themovable element. The closure can be arranged to conduct gas from the gasinlet port through a space between the membrane and an exterior of thepiercing element with the piercing element extending through themembrane. For example, gas can enter the vessel through a gap or spacebetween an outer surface of the piercing element and the membrane, andbeverage material can exit via a channel through the piercing element.Alternately, the gas inlet port can include an inlet piercing elementarranged to pierce the membrane with movement of the movable elementtoward the membrane to introduce gas into the internal space. Thus, thegas inlet port can form an opening in the membrane to allow gas entrywhile a piercing element forms a separate opening in the membrane forbeverage material exit.

In some embodiments, the movable element can be connected to the wall ofthe closure by a flexible connector that allows the movable element tomove towards the vessel opening while remaining attached to the wall.For example, the flexible connector can include an annular diaphragmhaving a U-shaped cross section in a radial direction, and the movableelement can include a disc attached at an inner side of the annulardiaphragm.

In some embodiments, the container includes first and second vesselswith the first vessel containing beverage material and the second vesselcontaining a gas source arranged to emit a pressurized gas fordissolution in a beverage. Such a container can be useful when used witha beverage machine that carbonates and flavors water or other liquid toform a beverage. In some embodiments, the second vessel includes a topsurface that is pierce-able to access the gas source, e.g., the gassource can include a zeolite gas source arranged to release gas in thepresence of a liquid, and a beverage machine can pierce the top surfaceto introduce water into the second vessel to cause carbonating gas toexit the second vessel.

In another aspect of the exemplary system and method, a beverage systemincludes a beverage container having a vessel with an internal spacecontaining a beverage material and an opening to the internal space. Aclosure can be attached to the vessel and close the opening. A beveragemachine can include a container receiver arranged to receive thebeverage container and use the beverage material for dispensing abeverage. In some embodiments, the container receiver can include aclamp arranged to engage the closure of the beverage container and forcea piercing element of the closure to move toward and pierce a membraneclosing the opening of the vessel. The container receiver can alsoinclude a pressurized gas supply arranged to force gas into the vesselto cause the beverage material to exit the vessel via the closure.

The container can be arranged as described above, e.g., the closure caninclude a membrane sealing the opening closed and a movable elementpositioned outside of the internal space that is movable relative to themembrane. The movable element can include a piercing element movable topierce the membrane, and a channel to conduct flow of beverage materialfrom the internal space. A gas inlet port of the closure can be arrangedto couple with the pressurized gas supply of the beverage machine anddeliver gas into the internal space through a hole in the membrane toforce beverage material to flow into the channel. Other features of thecontainer described above can be employed as well.

These and other aspects of the exemplary system and method will beapparent from the following description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the exemplary systems and methods are described withreference to the following drawings in which like numerals referencelike elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of abeverage container;

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of a beverage container in anembodiment;

FIG. 3 shows the beverage container of FIG. 2 with a movable element inan upper position;

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of a movable element in the FIG. 1embodiment;

FIG. 5 shows a bottom perspective view of a movable element in the FIG.1 embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of a beverage container in anotherembodiment including a diaphragm connecting a movable element to aclosure body;

FIG. 7 is a perspective cross sectional view of the FIG. 6 embodiment;

FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of the FIG. 6 container held by acontainer receiver of a beverage machine;

FIG. 9 shows the system of FIG. 8 with the closure of the containerengaged with an anvil of the beverage machine;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic diagram of a beverage system in oneembodiment; and

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a beverage system including a taphandle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood that aspects of the exemplary systems andmethods are described herein with reference to the figures, which showillustrative embodiments. The illustrative embodiments described hereinare not necessarily intended to show all embodiments in accordance withthe exemplary systems and methods, but rather are used to describe a fewillustrative embodiments. Thus, aspects of the invention are notintended to be construed narrowly in view of the illustrativeembodiments. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of theexemplary systems and methods can be used alone or in any suitablecombination with other aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an illustrative embodiment of a beverage containerthat incorporates one or more features of the present exemplary systemsand methods. As described in more detail below, the container can beused with a beverage machine to form a beverage. For example, thecontainer 10 can include a vessel 1 that holds a beverage material 2that can be dispensed from the container 10 by a beverage machine. Thebeverage material 2 can be mixed with water or other liquid to form abeverage, or the beverage material 2 can be dispensed for consumptionwithout dilution or mixing with any other ingredient. As an option, thecontainer 10 can include a second vessel 15, which can include a sourceof pressurized gas that is used to carbonate a beverage liquid, oranother beverage material 2 that can be mixed with the beverage material2 in the first vessel 1. The two beverage materials 2 can be maintainedin separated, isolated spaces prior to use in forming a beverage, e.g.,because the two materials 2 may not remain in suitable form to make abeverage if combined and stored together. As an example, a second vessel15 can contain ethyl alcohol while the first vessel 1 includes analcohol-free or low alcohol concentrate or drink mix. A closure 3 can beattached to the vessel 1 and be arranged to seal an opening of thevessel 1 (and/or vessel 15) until the container 10 is used to dispense abeverage. The closure 3 can be arranged to provide access to the vessel1, allowing pressurized gas to be introduced into the vessel 1 to forcethe beverage material 2 to exit the vessel 1 through the closure 3.

In one illustrative embodiment, the closure 3 includes a pierce-ablemembrane sealing the opening of the vessel 1 closed and a movableelement positioned outside of the internal space of the vessel 1 that ismovable relative to the membrane. The movable element can include apiercing element movable to pierce the membrane so as to allow access tothe internal space, and a channel to conduct flow of beverage materialfrom the internal space. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 2 theclosure 3 is attached to the vessel 1 so as to seal an opening 11 of thevessel 1 closed. In this embodiment, the opening 11 and closure 3 arelocated at a bottom 12 of the vessel 1, but the opening 11 and closure 3could be located at a sidewall 13, a top 16, or other locations on avessel 1. A pierce-able membrane 31, which can include a sheet ofmaterial, such as a metal. foil, a polymer, a foil/polymer laminate, orother, can be arranged to seal the opening 11 closed. The membrane 31can be attached to the vessel 1 at the opening 11, e.g., by welding oradhering the membrane 31 to a rim or lip of the vessel 1 surrounding theopening 11. In such a case, a body 32 of the closure 3 can be attachedto the vessel 1 after the membrane 31 is secured in place. Alternately,the membrane 31 can be clamped or squeezed between the body 32 of theclosure 3 and the vessel 1, or can be attached to the closure body 32which itself is sealingly attached to the vessel 1. For example, theclosure body 32 can include a wall (such as a cylindrical wall) thatdefines a pathway 33 through the closure 3 from a top of the closure 3to a bottom of the closure 3. A ledge 34 can be arranged at an innersurface of the wall (e.g., having an annular shape and extendingradially inwardly from the inner surface of the wall), and the membrane31 can be attached to the ledge 34 to occlude or resist flow through thepathway 33. In this embodiment, the ledge 34 extends radially inwardlyrelatively far from the wall of the body 32 to define an opening, butthe ledge 34 can extend radially inwardly to a lesser degree, e.g., farenough to provide a surface to support the membrane 31 and no more. Inany case, the closure 3 can be said to include the membrane 31, even ifthe membrane 31 is secured to the vessel 1. The body 32 can engage thevessel 1 in different ways, such as by a snap fit, an interference fit,screw thread, welding, adhesive, etc., and engagement of the closurebody 32 with the vessel 1 can provide a leak-tight seal, or it may not(e.g., in the case where the membrane 31 is bonded directly to thevessel 1).

To provide access to the internal space of the vessel 1 and allow thebeverage material 2 to exit, the closure 3 can include a movable element35 positioned in the pathway 33 and movable toward the membrane 31 inthe pathway 33. The movable element 35 can carry a piercing element 36such that the piercing element 36 pierces the membrane 31 to open thepathway 33 to a flow of beverage material 2 from the vessel 1. While themovable element 35 can be arranged in different ways, in thisembodiment, the movable element 35 includes a disc that is movable inthe pathway 33 toward the top of the closure body 32 and the opening 11.The disc can have any suitable shape, such as a circular, oval, square,rectangular, irregular or other shape when viewed from a top. Thepiercing element 36 can extend upwardly from the upper side of themovable element (e.g., the disc) and be arranged to pierce the membrane31 with upward movement of the movable element 35. A channel can beprovided at an interior of the piercing element 36 such that beveragematerial 2 can flow through the piercing element 36, or one or morechannels can be provided at an exterior of the piercing element 36 forbeverage material 2 flow. For example, the piercing element 36 caninclude a tube with a central channel, or can be arranged as a spike,blade, rod or other structure arranged so beverage material 2 can flowalong an outer surface of the piercing element 36.

The closure can also include a gas inlet port arranged to conduct gasfrom the gas inlet port and into the interior space of the vessel.Introduction of pressurized gas into the vessel can help force the flowof beverage material from the vessel, e.g., where the beverage materialis a syrup or if beverage material dispensing should be completed in ashort period of time. The gas inlet port can be arranged to mate with agas source of a beverage machine that provides pressurized air or othergas to the vessel. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 2, the gas inletport in this embodiment includes an annular groove 37 formed on a bottomside of the movable element 35 and one or more gas openings 38 throughthe movable element 35 to conduct gas from the annular groove 37 to anupper side of the movable element 35. As is discussed in more detailbelow, providing an annular groove 37 or other rotationally symmetricfeature to receive pressurized gas can make the container 10 insensitiveto its rotational positioning when placed in a container receiver of abeverage machine. In this embodiment, pressurized gas introduced intothe annular groove 37 can be conducted through the one or more gasopenings 38 and into the vessel 1. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the movableelement 35 can be moved upwardly so that the piercing element 36penetrates the membrane 31, thus providing access to the internal spaceof the vessel 1. Pressurized gas passing through the gas opening(s) 38can enter a space between the movable element 35 and the membrane 31,and in this embodiment, can pass through a space between the membrane 31and an exterior of the piercing element 36 while the piercing element isextended through the membrane 31. Introduction of gas into the vessel 1can increase a pressure in the vessel 1 relative to an externalenvironment, which tends to force beverage material 2 to exit the vessel1. In this embodiment, the piercing element 36 includes a channel, andbeverage material 2 can exit the vessel 1 via the channel under theinfluence of pressure in the vessel 1. Increasing pressure in the vessel1 by introducing pressurized gas can be particularly effective if thebeverage material 2 is a liquid, such as a syrup or other concentrate,but can also provide benefits if the beverage material 2 is in a powderor other form. The piercing element 36 can include one or more grooveson its exterior surface to help conduct gas flow into the vessel 1, butsuch features are not necessary and gas can simply pass through any gapbetween the piercing element 36 and the membrane 31.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show perspective top and bottom views of the movableelement 35 in the FIGS. 2 and 3 embodiment. As can be seen in FIG. 4, atop side of the movable element 35 includes one or more standoffs 351.The standoff 351 in this embodiment is arranged as a ring around aperiphery of the movable element 35, and as can be seen in FIG. 3, helpsmaintain a gap or air space between the movable element 35 and the ledge34 when the movable element 35 is moved upwardly. This air spaceprovides a flow path for gas passing through the gas opening(s) 38 andto the vessel 1. Although in this embodiment the standoff 351 isarranged as a ring with a groove positioned inwardly of the ring, thestandoff 351 could be arranged in other ways. For example, the standoff351 could include one or more upstanding pins, one or more radiallyoriented grooves, or other features to provide a flow path for gas at anupper surface of the movable element 35.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the annular groove 37 is formed by concentricwalls that extend downwardly from the movable element 35. Of course, theannular groove 37 could be formed in other ways, such as by a groove orchannel that is formed in the movable element 35. The annular groove 37is not required, however, and can be eliminated and one or more gasopenings 38 used alone. In such a case, the beverage machine can includean annular channel or other port that supplies pressurized gas to thegas opening 38.

In some embodiments, the closure can include a detent arranged tomaintain the movable element at a first position in which the membraneis not pierced by the piercing element, and at a second position inwhich the membrane is pierced by the piercing element. The detent canprevent piercing of the membrane unless a specific amount of force isapplied to move the movable element in the closure. Thus, the detent canhelp prevent unwanted piercing of the membrane, e.g., by a useraccidentally pressing on the movable element. The embodiment illustratedin FIGS. 2 and 3 includes a detent arranged as a protrusion 39 thatextends inwardly from the inner wall of the closure body 32. When themovable element 35 is located below the protrusion 39 (FIG. 2), theprotrusion 39 resists upward movement of the movable element 35 unless athreshold level of force is applied, e.g., 5 to 10 pounds of force ormore. When the threshold level of force is applied to the movableelement 35, the movable element 35 will move from a first, lowerposition past the protrusion 39 to a second, higher position in thepathway 33 (FIG. 3). The detent can keep the movable element 35 in thesecond position, helping to keep the piercing element 36 engaged withthe membrane 31. This can aid in providing gas flow into, and beveragematerial flow out of, the vessel 1, and/or help signal to a user thatthe container 10 has been used to form a beverage. That is, after acontainer 10 is used to form a beverage, it may not be readily obviousfrom other portions of the container 10 that the container 10 has beenused. However, by viewing the closure 3, and specifically the positionof the movable element 35, a user can easily determine that thecontainer 10 has been previously used. While in this embodiment thedetent is formed as a ring-shaped protrusion 39 that extends inwardlyfrom an inner wall of the closure body 32, other arrangements arepossible. For example, the detent can be formed by discrete tabs or pinsthat extend from the inner wall of the body 32, as a groove or series ofgrooves in the inner wall of the body 32 in combination with aring-shaped protrusion or other elements on the movable element 35 thatcooperate with the groove(s), or other detent configurations.

It should also be appreciated that other arrangements for controllingthe movement of the movable element 35 can be employed. For example, themovable element 35 can engage the inner wall of the closure body 32 by ascrew thread or cam/cam follower engagement such that the movableelement 35 must be rotated to move the movable element 35 toward themembrane 31. In one embodiment, the thread or cam engagement can beconfigured so that a 90 degree rotation of the movable element 35relative to the body 32 can move the movable element 35 so that thepiercing element 36 pierces the membrane 31 to allow beverage material 2to exit. Rotation of the movable element 35 or of the closure body 32can be effected by the beverage machine or by a user, such as byrotating the vessel 1. For example, the movable element 35 can have atab or other feature that engages with a cartridge receiver so that themovable element 35 remains stationary as the vessel 1 is rotated by auser. This rotation can cause piercing of the membrane 31 to allowaccess to the interior of the container 10.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another illustrative embodiment of a container 10. Inthis embodiment, the closure 3 is arranged to engage with the vessel 1by way of a snap fit. Alternatively, as noted above, the closure 3 canengage the vessel 1 by any securing mechanisms including, but in no waylimited to, by welding, an adhesive, threaded engagement, etc. An upperend of the closure body 32 includes an engagement feature 41, such as atooth or other type of engagement feature that engages with acorresponding tooth or other engagement feature on the vessel 1 near theopening 11. In this embodiment, the closure body 32 can be pressed ontothe vessel 1 so that the engagement feature 41 engages with the vessel 1to hold the closure 3 on the vessel 1. The engagement feature 41 canalso clamp the membrane 31 between the closure body 32 and the vessel 1so as to seal the internal space of the vessel closed. Alternately, themembrane 31 can be attached directly to the vessel 1 or the body 32,e.g., by welding or an adhesive. The engagement feature 41 can provide atamper-evident engagement that resists removal of the closure 3 from thevessel 1, and if the closure 3 is removed from the vessel 1, theengagement feature 41 and/or other portions of the closure 3 or thevessel 1 can break or otherwise deform or be altered so as to preventre-engagement of the closure 3 with the vessel 1.

Also present in the FIGS. 6 and 7 embodiment is a flexible connector 40between the movable element 35 and the body 32 of the closure. In thisembodiment, the flexible connector 40 includes an annular diaphragmhaving a U-shaped cross section in a radial direction. Such anarrangement is at least sometimes called a rolling diaphragm, andconnects to the movable element 35 at an inner side of the diaphragm andat an outer side to the body 32. This arrangement allows the movableelement 35 (in this case including a disc) to move relative to the body32 while remaining attached to the body 32 and maintaining a sealbetween the pathway 33 and areas outside of the closure 3. This seal canhelp direct flow of beverage material 2 to and through the piercingelement 36 or other desired flow path. Presence of the flexibleconnector 40 allows for a one-piece construction of the closure 3 andallowing for the translation of the movable element without separationof the one-piece construction. This configuration allows for thefunctional translation due to the geometry of the closure 3, aconfiguration that is known as a compliant mechanism. When a force isinput on the moveable element 35, the movable element 35 translates asthe flexible connector deforms and allows for the translation. Theflexible connector 40 may allow for deformation and thereby translationof the moveable element 35 by having a thinner cross-section compared tothe rest of the closure 3, by being formed of a separate and moreflexible material, and the like. Note also that this embodiment includesno standoff 351 feature. In this embodiment, the flexible connector 40limits upward movement of the movable element 35 so that the uppersurface of the moveable element 35 does not contact the membrane 31, orthe flexible connector 40 can interfere with the membrane 31 to helpmaintain a suitable gap between the movable element 35 and the membrane31 to allow gas flow into the vessel 1.

Another feature shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is that the movable element 35includes an inlet piercing element 42 arranged to pierce the membrane 31with movement of the movable element 35 toward the membrane 31 tointroduce gas into the internal space of the vessel 1. Similar to thepiercing element 36, the inlet piercing element 42 extends upwardly fromthe movable element 35, e.g., the disc, and can form a hole in themembrane 31 through which gas provided to the gas supply port (e.g., theannular groove 37 and gas openings 38) can flow. The piercing element 36and inlet piercing element 42 can be arranged so that the piercingelement 36 pierces the membrane 31 first as the movable element 35 ismoved toward the membrane 31. This way, if there is a pressure insidethe vessel 1 that exceeds an ambient pressure, beverage material 2 willflow through the opening formed by the piercing element 36, rather thanthe hole formed by the inlet piercing element 42.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the container of FIGS. 6 and 7 engaging with acontainer receiver of a beverage machine. In this embodiment, thecontainer receiver 5 includes a basket 51 into which the container 10can be placed. The basket 51 is mounted to move vertically, and isspring biased upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 8. The spring biason the basket 51 is sufficiently robust to support the weight of thecontainer IO, and so the container IO and basket 51 remain in theposition shown in FIG. 8 until the container receiver 5 is closed. Whenthe container receiver 5 is closed, a lid 52 can press downwardly on thebasket 51, forcing the basket 51 to move downwardly against the springbias. Downward movement of the basket 51 causes clamp elements 53 tomove inwardly against a spring bias that normally urges the clampelements 53 to move outwardly. However, downward movement of the basket51 and the clamp elements 53 which are mounted to the basket 51 causesouter ends of the clamp elements 53 to ride along an inclined surface 54that pushes the clamp element 53 inwardly. This allows the clamp element53 to capture a flange 14 of the vessel 1 so that the flange 14 istrapped between a lower portion of the basket 51 and the clamp elements53. Continued downward movement of the basket 51, clamp elements 53 andthe captured container 10 causes the moveable element 35 to contact ananvil 55 of the container receiver 5, which moves the moveable element35 upward so that the piercing element 36 and the inlet piercing element42 pierce the membrane 31. The moveable element 35 also engages theanvil 55 so that the annular groove 37 sealingly engages with the anvil55 so that pressurized gas can be delivered by a gas supply 56 to thegas inlet port and into the vessel 1. This causes beverage material 2 toexit the vessel 1 via the piercing element 36, e.g., a channel in thepiercing element 36, for direct dispensing into a user's cup or into amixing chamber for mixing the beverage material 2 and water or otherliquid. After dispensing of the beverage material 2, the lid 52 can belifted, allowing the spring bias on the basket 51 to move the 51upwardly and the clamp element 53 to move outwardly to release thecontainer 10. In this embodiment, the gas supply 56 includes an annulargroove 57 in an upper surface of the anvil 55 that is arranged to matewith the annular groove 57 of the movable element 35. However, this isnot necessary, and the gas supply 56 can include one or more holes inthe upper surface of the anvil 55 to deliver pressurized gas to theannular groove 57.

It should be understood that a container receiver 5 is not necessarilylimited to the embodiments described herein. For example, the containerreceiver 5 can open and close in any suitable way to allow containers 10to be placed in and/or removed from the container receiver 5. In oneembodiment, a container receiver 5 can include a lid pivotally mountedto a receiver or basket portion of the container receiver 5, and can beopened and closed manually, such as by a handle and linkage arrangement,or automatically, such as by a motor drive, to close the containerreceiver 5. Of course, the lid 52 can be arranged in other ways, such asbeing engaged with the lower portion by a threaded connection (like ascrew cap), by the moving the basket portion relative to the lid whilethe lid remains stationary, by both the lid and basket portion moving,and so on. In addition, a container receiver 5 need not necessarily havea lid and basket alignment, but instead can have any suitable member ormembers that cooperate to open/close and support a container. Forexample, a pair of clamshell members can be movable relative to eachother to allow receipt of a container and physical support of thecontainer. Some other illustrative container holder arrangements are 5shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,142,063; 6,606,938; 6,644,173;and 7,165,488.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of a beverage system 100 that can be usedwith a container 10 that incorporates exemplary features of the presentsystems and methods. In this illustrative embodiment, precursor liquidsuch as water is provided by a precursor liquid supply 101 thatoriginates in the reservoir 111, which can be removable from the system100, e.g., to allow for easier filling, or can be 10 fixed in place.Although in this embodiment, a user initially provides the beverageprecursor liquid in the reservoir 111, the precursor liquid supply 101can include other components to provide liquid to the reservoir 111,such as a plumbed water line, controllable valve, and liquid levelsensor to automatically fill the reservoir 111 to a desired level, asecond water reservoir or other tank that is fluidly connected to thereservoir 111, and other arrangements. Liquid is delivered by a pump 113to the carbonation tank 106 via a three-way valve 151 c. In thisinstance, the pump 113 is a solenoid pump, but other pump types arepossible. The carbonation tank 106 can be suitably filled with liquidusing any suitable control method, such as by sensing a level in thecarbonation tank 106 using a conductive probe, pressure sensor, opticalsensor or other sensor. A tank vent valve 151 b can be opened duringfilling to allow the pressure in the carbonation tank 106 to vent, orcan remain closed during filling, e.g., to allow a pressure build up inthe carbonation tank 106. Though not shown in FIG. 10, a control circuitcan control operation of the valves 151, e.g., the valves 151 caninclude electromechanical or other actuators, as well as include sensorsto detect various characteristics, such as temperature in thecarbonation tank 106, pressure in the carbonation tank 106, a flow rateof gas or liquid in any of the system flow lines, etc.

To form a beverage, a user can associate a container 10 with the system100, e.g., by loading the container 10 into a container receiver 5 in away like that discussed with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9. In thisembodiment, however, the container 10 includes a lower vessel 1 arrangedlike that described above, and an upper vessel 15 that contains a gassource arranged to release carbon dioxide or other gas under pressurefor dissolution in a liquid, e.g., for carbonating water. With thecontainer 10 associated with the system 100, the control circuit canthen activate the system 100 to deliver liquid to the upper vessel 15,e.g., to cause carbon dioxide to be generated. (Though this embodimentuses a container 10 with a gas source activated by a fluid, otherarrangements are possible, including the use of a pressurized gascylinder as a gas source.) The control circuit can start operation ofthe system 100 in an automated way, e.g., based on detecting thepresence of a container 10, detecting liquid in the carbonation tank 106and closure of the container receiver 5, and/or other characteristics ofthe system 100. Alternately, the control circuit can start systemoperation in response to a user pressing a start button or otherwiseproviding input (e.g., by voice activation) to start beveragepreparation.

To initiate carbonation, the vent valve 151 b can be closed and thethree-way valve 151 c controlled to allow the pump 113 to pump liquidinto the upper vessel 15 that contains a gas source. That is, the system100 can include a carbon dioxide activating fluid supply that provides afluid to a upper vessel 15 so as to activate a carbon dioxide source inthe upper vessel 15 to release carbon dioxide gas. In this embodiment,the carbon dioxide source includes a charged adsorbent or molecularsieve, e.g., a zeolite material that has adsorbed some amount of carbondioxide gas that is released in the presence of water, whether in vaporor liquid form. Of course, other carbon dioxide source materials can beused, such as charcoal or other molecular sieve materials, carbonnanotubes, metal organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, porouspolymers, or source materials that generate carbon dioxide by chemicalmeans, such as sodium bicarbonate and citric acid (with the addition ofwater if the bicarbonate and acid are initially in dry form), compressedcarbon dioxide bottle gas, or others. In addition, aspects of theexemplary system and method are not necessarily limited to use withcarbon dioxide gas, but can be used with any suitable gas, such asnitrogen, which is dissolved in some beers or other beverages, oxygen,air, and others. Thus, reference to “carbonation,” “carbon dioxidesource,” “carbon dioxide activating fluid supply,” etc., should not beinterpreted as limiting aspects of the exemplary system and methodand/or any embodiments to use with carbon dioxide only. Instead, aspectsof the exemplary system and method can be used with any suitable gas.

In one embodiment, the charged adsorbent is a zeolite such as analcime,chabazite, clinoptilolite, heulandite, natrolite, phillipsite, orstilbite. The zeolite can be naturally occurring or synthetic, and canbe capable of holding up to about 18% carbon dioxide by weight or more.The zeolite material can be arranged in any suitable form, such as asolid block (e.g., in disc form), particles of spherical, cubic,irregular or other suitable shape, and others. An arrangement thatallows the zeolite to flow or be flowable, e.g., spherical particles,can be useful for packaging the zeolite in individual containers. Suchan arrangement can allow the zeolite to flow from a hopper into acontainer, for example, simplifying the manufacturing process. Thesurface area of the zeolite particles can also be arranged to helpcontrol the rate at which the zeolite releases carbon dioxide gas, sincehigher surface area measures typically increase the gas production rate.Generally, zeolite materials will release adsorbed carbon dioxide in thepresence of water in liquid or vapor form, allowing the zeolite to beactivated to release carbon dioxide gas by the addition of liquid waterto the zeolite.

The carbon dioxide activating fluid supply in this embodiment includes aconduit that is fluidly coupled to the pump 113 and the valve 151 c thatcan be controlled to open/close or otherwise control the flow ofprecursor liquid into the upper vessel 15. That is, a single pump can bearranged to both deliver precursor liquid to the carbonation tank anddeliver activating fluid to a gas source. Other arrangements oradditions are possible for the carbon dioxide activating fluid supply,such as a dedicated liquid supply for the upper vessel 15 that isseparate from the precursor liquid supply, a pressure-reducing elementin the conduit, a flow-restrictor in the conduit, a flow meter toindicate an amount and/or flow rate of fluid into the vessel 15, asyringe, piston pump or other positive displacement device that canmeter desired amounts of liquid (whether water, citric acid or othermaterial) to the vessel 15, and others. In another embodiment, theactivating fluid supply can include a gravity fed liquid supply that hasa controllable delivery rate, e.g., like the drip-type liquid supplysystems used with intravenous lines for providing liquids to hospitalpatients, or can spray atomized water or other liquid to provide a watervapor or other gas phase activating fluid to the upper vessel 15.

A carbon dioxide gas supply can be arranged to provide carbon dioxidegas from the upper vessel 15 to an area where the gas is used tocarbonate the liquid, in this case, the carbonation tank 106. The gassupply can be arranged in any suitable way, and in this illustrativeembodiment includes a conduit that is fluidly connected between theupper vessel 15 and a carbonated liquid outlet of the carbonation tank106. A gas control valve 151 d is controllable by the control circuit toopen and close the flow path through the gas supply conduit. (Note thatin some embodiments, the gas control valve 151 d can be a check valvethat is not controllable by the control circuit.)

The gas supply can include other components than a conduit and valve,such as pressure regulators, safety valves, additional control valves, acompressor or pump (e.g., to increase a pressure of the gas), anaccumulator (e.g., to help maintain a relatively constant gas pressureand/or store gas), and so on. (The use of an accumulator or similar gasstorage device can obviate the need to control the rate of gas output bya container. Instead, the gas source can be permitted to emit gas in anuncontrolled manner, with the emitted gas being stored in an accumulatorfor later delivery and use in producing a sparkling beverage. Gasreleased from the accumulator could be released in a controlled manner,e.g., at a controlled pressure and/or flow rate.) Also, carbonation ofthe precursor liquid can occur via one or more mechanisms or processes,and thus is not limited to one particular process. For example, whiledelivery of carbon dioxide gas to the outlet of the carbonation tank 106can function to help dissolve carbon dioxide in the liquid, other systemcomponents can further aid in the carbonation process. In someembodiments, a sparger can be used to introduce gas into the carbonationtank, precursor liquid can be circulated in the tank, and/or othertechniques can be used to alter a rate at which carbonating gas isdissolved.

Before, during and/or after carbonation of the liquid in the carbonationtank 106, a system 107 can chill the liquid. As noted above, the coolingsystem 7 can operate in any suitable way, e.g., can include ice,refrigeration coils or other cooling elements in thermal contact withthe carbonation tank 106. In addition, the carbonation tank 106 caninclude a mixer or other agitator to move the liquid in the carbonationtank 106 to enhance gas dissolution and/or cooling. Operation in forminga beverage can continue for a preset amount of time, or based on otherconditions, such as a detected level of carbonation, a drop in gasproduction by the upper vessel 15, or other parameters. Duringoperation, the amount of liquid provided to the upper vessel 15 can becontrolled to control gas output. Control of the liquid provided to theupper vessel 15 can be made based on a timing sequence (e.g., the valve151 c can be opened for a period of time, followed by valve closure fora period, and so on), based on detected pressure (e.g., liquid supplycan be stopped when the pressure in the carbonation tank 106 exceeds athreshold, and resume when the pressure falls below the threshold oranother value), based on a volume of activating liquid delivered to theupper vessel 15 (e.g., a specific volume of liquid can be delivered tothe vessel 15 in one or more discrete volumes), or other arrangements.

With the precursor liquid in the carbonation tank 106 ready fordispensing, the vent valve 151 b can be opened to reduce the pressure inthe carbonation tank 106 to an ambient pressure. As is known in the art,depressurizing the carbonation tank prior to dispensing can aid inmaintaining a desired carbonation level of the liquid during dispensing.With the carbonation tank 106 vented, the vent valve 151 b can be closedand a pump vent valve 151 a can be opened. The pump 113 can then beoperated to draw air or other gas into the inlet side of the pump 113and pump the gas into the carbonation tank 106 so as to force theprecursor liquid in the carbonation tank 106 to flow into the dispenseline 138. While the pump 113 delivers air to the carbonation tank, thedispense valve 151 e is opened and the gas control valve 151 d is closedduring liquid dispensing. The dispensed liquid can enter a mixingchamber 109 at which the carbonated liquid and beverage material 2provided from the lower vessel 1 of the container 10 are combined. Thebeverage material can be moved out of the vessel 1 and to the mixingchamber 109 by introducing pressurized gas into the vessel 1, e.g., byway of an air pump 143.

The control circuit can use one or more sensors to control a carbonationlevel of the precursor liquid, a temperature to which the liquid ischilled (if at all), a time at which and during which beverage materialis delivered to the mixing chamber 109, a rate at which carbonating gasis produced and delivered to the carbonation tank 106, and/or otheraspects of the beverage making process. For example, a temperaturesensor can detect the temperature of the precursor liquid in thecarbonation tank 106. This information can be used to control systemoperation, e.g., warmer precursor liquid temperatures can cause thecontrol circuit to increase an amount of time allowed for carbon dioxidegas to be dissolved in the precursor liquid. In other arrangements, thetemperature of the precursor liquid can be used to determine whether thesystem 100 will be operated to carbonate the liquid or not. For example,in some arrangements, the user can be required to add suitably coldliquid (and/or ice) to the reservoir 111 before the system 100 willoperate. (As discussed above, relatively warm precursor liquidtemperatures can cause the liquid to be insufficiently carbonated insome conditions.) In another embodiment, a pressure sensor can be usedto detect a pressure in the carbonation tank 106. This information canbe used to determine whether the carbonation tank 106 is properly orimproperly filled, if a pressure leak is present, if carbonation iscomplete and/or to determine whether sufficient carbon dioxide gas isbeing produced by the upper vessel 15. For example, low detectedpressure can indicate that more carbon dioxide needs to be generated,and thus cause the control circuit to allow more liquid to be deliveredby the activating fluid supply to the upper vessel 15. Likewise, highpressures can cause the flow of liquid from the activating fluid supplyto be slowed or stopped. Thus, the control circuit can control the gaspressure in the carbonation tank 106 and/or other areas of the system100 by controlling an amount of liquid delivered to the upper vessel 15.Alternately, low pressure can indicate that there is a leak in thesystem and cause the system to indicate an error is present. In someembodiments, measured pressure can indicate that carbonation iscomplete. For example, pressure in the carbonation tank 106 caninitially be detected to be at a high level, e.g., around 70-80 psi, andlater be detected to be at a low level, e.g., around 40 psi due to gasbeing dissolved in the liquid. The low pressure detection can indicatethat carbonation is complete.

The control circuit can also be arranged to allow a user to define alevel of carbonation (i.e., amount of dissolved gas in the beverage,whether carbon dioxide or other). For example, the control circuit caninclude a touch screen display or other user interface that allows theuser to define a desired carbonation level, such as by allowing the userto select a carbonation volume level of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, or selectingone of a low, medium or high carbonation level. Containers used by thesystem 100 can include sufficient gas source material to make thehighest level of carbonation selectable, but the control circuit cancontrol the system to dissolve an amount of gas in the beverage that isconsistent with the selected level. For example, while all containerscan be arranged for use in creating a “high” carbonation beverage, thecontrol circuit can operate the system 100 to use less of the availablegas (or cause the gas source to emit Jess gas than possible) incarbonating the beverage. Carbonation levels can be controlled based ona detected carbonation level by a sensor, a detected pressure in thecarbonation tank 6 or elsewhere, an amount of gas output by thecontainer TO, or other features.

In another embodiment, the container 10 can include indicia readable bythe controller, e.g., a RFID tag, barcode, alphanumeric string, etc.,that indicates a carbonation level to be used for the beverage. Afterdetermining the carbonation level from the container 10, the controlcircuit can control the system 100 accordingly. Thus, a user need notselect the carbonation level by interacting with the system 100, butrather a carbonation level can 20 be automatically adjusted based on thebeverage selected. In yet another embodiment, a user can be able toselect a gas source vessel 15 that matches a carbonation level the userdesires. (Different carbonation levels can be provided in the differentcontainers by having different amounts of gas source in the vessel 15.)For example, container 10 providing low, medium and high carbonationlevels can be provided for selection by a user, and the user can pickthe container 10 that matches the desired carbonation level, and providethe selected container to the system. Thus, a gas source vessel 15labeled “low” can be chosen and used with the system to create a lowlevel carbonated beverage.

A user can alternately be permitted to define characteristics of abeverage to be made by interacting in some way with a container IO to beused by the system 100. For example, tab, notch or other physicalfeature of the container 10 can be altered or formed by the user tosignify a desired beverage characteristic. For example, a broken tab,slider indicator, a covered or uncovered perforation on a portion of thecontainer 10, etc., that is created by the user can indicate a desiredcarbonation level, an amount of beverage material to use in forming thebeverage (where the system 100 is controllable to use less than all ofthe beverage material in the container to form a beverage), and so on.Features in the container 10 can also be used by the control circuit todetect features of the container 10, a beverage being formed or othercomponents of the system 100.

The container 10 can be made of any suitable materials, and is notnecessarily limited to the constructions shown herein. For example, thecontainer 10 can be made of, or otherwise include, materials thatprovide a barrier to moisture and/or gases, such as oxygen, water vapor,etc. In one embodiment, the container 10 can be made of a polymerlaminate, e.g., formed from a sheet including a layer of polystyrene,polypropylene and/or a layer of EVOH and/or other barrier material, suchas a metallic foil. In one embodiment, the container 10 is injectionmolded. Moreover, the container 10 materials and/or construction canvary according to the materials contained in the container 10. Forexample, a portion of the container 10 containing a gas source materialcan require a robust moisture barrier, whereas a beverage materialportion may not require such a high moisture resistance. Thus, thecontainers can be made of different materials and/or in different ways.In addition, the container 10 interior can be differently constructedaccording to a desired function. Thus, as used herein, a “container” cantake any suitable form, such as a pod (e.g., opposed layers of filterpaper encapsulating a material), capsule, sachet, package, or any otherarrangement. The container 10 can have a defined shape, or can have nodefined shape (as is the case with some sachets or other packages madeentirely of flexible material). The container can be impervious to airand/or liquid, or can allow water and/or air to pass into the container.

In accordance with one aspect of the exemplary system and method, thecontainer includes an indicator that is readable by a beverage makingsystem or other indicator reader. As non-limiting, illustrativeexamples, the indicator can be an RFID tag, barcode, alphanumericstring, taggant, taggant ink, or other suitable indicator. The indicatorcan be used to provide any suitable information to the beverage makingsystem or to another reader. For example, the indicator can inform thebeverage making system of the type of contents contained within thecontainer such as a specific flavor, volume, gas-only or beveragematerial-only, which can cause the beverage making system to performoperation that is suitable for such contents. In some embodiments, theindicator can provide product authentication, expiration information,and/or manufacturing information such as lot number and manufacturingfacility.

FIG. 11 shows a beverage system 100 in an embodiment that includes a taphandle 122 and can be used with any of the containers 10 discussed aboveor other modified versions of a container 10. As an example, componentsof a system 100 shown in FIG. 10 can be employed in the system of FIG.11, or other configurations could be used. In this embodiment, thesystem 100 includes a container receiver 5 arranged at a top of a standthat can engage with a container 10 placed on the container receiver 5.The container receiver 5 can be arranged like that shown in FIGS. 8 and9, i.e., including components that engage with the container 10 and moveto open the container 10 for dispensing beverage material 2. In anotherembodiment, the container receiver 5 can engage the container 10 by atwist-type engagement, such as a screw thread or other similarconnection. For example, the closure 3 or other part of the container 10can include a screw thread, bayonet connector, or other arrangementconfigured to engage with a complementary feature of the containerreceiver 5 (such as a screw thread or other twist lock arrangement,grooves or other openings to receive bayonet elements, etc.). Thus, auser can place the container 10 on the container receiver 5, and thenengage the container 10 with the receiver 5 by twisting the container 10relative to the receiver 5. This action can serve to open the container10 for dispensing, e.g., a movable element of the closure 3 can be movedrelative to a membrane 31 so that the membrane 31 is pierced by apiercing element 36. Alternately, the container 10 can be engaged withthe receiver 5 and other action, such as a user pulling on the taphandle 122 or pressing a button, can cause the movable element 35 tomove to open the container 10 for dispensing. Such action can also causethe system 100 to introduce gas into the container 10 to causedispensing of the beverage material 2, e.g., into a mixing chamber formixing with a carbonated water or other liquid and subsequent dispensingof a beverage to a user's cup.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of thisexemplary system and method, it is to be appreciated that variousalterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvementsare intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to bewithin the spirit and scope of the exemplary system and method.Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way ofexample only.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A beverage container, comprising: a vesselhaving an internal space and an opening to the internal space; abeverage material located in the internal space; a pierce-able membranesealing the opening closed; and a closure including: a body attached tothe vessel and closing the opening, a movable element positioned outsideof the internal space and that is movable relative to the body and themembrane, the movable element including an engagement surface, apiercing element extending from the engagement surface and movable withthe engagement surface to pierce the membrane, a channel to conduct flowof the beverage material from the internal space, and a gas inlet portconfigured to be coupled to a gas supply of a beverage machine andconfigured to deliver gas into the internal space through a hole in themembrane to force the beverage material to flow into the channel, and anannular diaphragm having a first portion connected to the body and asecond portion connected to the engagement surface, wherein the annulardiaphragm is configured to permit relative movement of the engagementsurface and the body while the first portion is positionally fixedrelative to the body and second portion is positionally fixed relativeto the engagement surface.
 2. The beverage container of claim 1, whereinthe vessel includes a bottom, a sidewall extending upwardly from thebottom, and a top at an upper portion of the sidewall, and wherein theopening is located at the bottom.
 3. The beverage container of claim 1,wherein the body of the closure includes an engagement feature thatdefines a threaded engagement between the closure and the vessel at theopening.
 4. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein: the closure hasa pathway extending from a top of the closure to a bottom of theclosure, the membrane is attached in the closure to occlude the pathway,and the annular diaphragm is configured to allow movement of the movableelement relative to the body while maintaining a seal between thepathway and areas outside of the closure.
 5. The beverage container ofclaim 1, wherein the vessel is a first vessel, the beverage containerfurther comprising a second vessel attached to, and isolated from, thefirst vessel.
 6. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the closureincludes a wall that defines a pathway through the closure, the wallincluding a ledge at an inner surface of the wall, and wherein themembrane is attached to the ledge to occlude the pathway.
 7. Thebeverage container of claim 6, wherein the movable element is positionedin the pathway and is movable toward the membrane such that the piercingelement pierces the membrane to open the pathway to flow.
 8. Thebeverage container of claim 1, wherein the annular diaphragm has aU-shaped cross section in a radial direction extending between asubstantially cylindrical wall of the body and the movable element. 9.The beverage container of claim 8, wherein the membrane is held betweenthe wall and the vessel at the opening.
 10. The beverage container ofclaim 1, wherein the gas inlet port includes an inlet piercing elementarranged to pierce the membrane with movement of the movable elementtoward the membrane to introduce gas into the internal space.
 11. Thebeverage container of claim 10, wherein the inlet piercing elementdefines a projection from an upper side of the movable element and isarranged to pierce the membrane with upward movement of the movableelement, the closure arranged to conduct gas through a space between themembrane and an exterior of the inlet piercing element with the inletpiercing element extending through the membrane.
 12. The beverage systemof claim 1, wherein the closure is defined by a one-piece structure. 13.The beverage system of claim 12, wherein the one-piece structure allowsfor a translation of the movable element without separation from theclosure.
 14. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the gas inletport includes an annular groove defined on a bottom side of the movableelement and one or more gas openings through the movable element toconduct gas from the annular groove to an upper side of the movableelement.
 15. The beverage container of claim 14, wherein the piercingelement defines an elongated projection on the upper side of the movableelement and is arranged to pierce the membrane with upward movement ofthe movable element, the closure arranged to conduct gas from the gasinlet port through a space between the membrane and an exterior of thepiercing element with the piercing element extending through themembrane.
 16. The beverage container of claim 15, wherein the channel isprovided at an interior of the piercing element such that the beveragematerial is flowable through the piercing element.
 17. The beveragecontainer of claim 1, wherein the movable element includes a discmounted for movement toward the membrane.
 18. The beverage container ofclaim 17, further comprising an inlet piercing element that extendsupwardly from the disc and is arranged to pierce the membrane withmovement of the disc toward the membrane to introduce gas into theinternal space.
 19. The beverage container of claim 17, wherein thepiercing element extends upwardly from the disc.
 20. The beveragecontainer of claim 19, wherein the channel extends through the piercingelement.
 21. A beverage container, comprising: a vessel having aninternal space and an opening defined by the vessel that extends to theinternal space; a beverage material disposed in the internal space; apierce-able membrane sealing the opening; and a closure including: abody attached to the vessel and covering the opening; a movable elementpositioned outside the internal space, the movable element movablerelative to the body and the membrane, the movable element including anengagement surface, a piercing element extending from the engagementsurface and movable with the engagement surface to pierce the membrane,a channel to conduct a flow of the beverage material from the internalspace, and a gas inlet port configured direct gas into the internalspace through a hole in the membrane; and an annular diaphragmconnecting the body and the engagement surface, the annular diaphragmhaving a rigidity less than a rigidity of both the body and the movableelement, the annular diaphragm defining a flexible region of the closurebetween the engagement surface and the body.
 22. The beverage containerof claim 21, wherein: the annular diaphragm includes a first portionconnected to the body and a second portion connected to the engagementsurface; and the annular diaphragm is configured to permit relativemovement of the engagement surface and the body while the first portionis positionally fixed relative to the body and the second portion ispositionally fixed relative to the engagement surface.
 23. The beveragecontainer of claim 21, wherein the closure is defined by a one-piecestructure.
 24. The beverage container of claim 21, wherein the annulardiaphragm is configured to allow movement of the movable elementrelative to the body while maintaining a seal between a pathway definedby the closure and areas outside of the closure.
 25. The beveragecontainer of claim 21, wherein the body of the closure includes anengagement feature that positionally fixes the closure to the vesselduring a translation of the movable element.
 26. A beverage container,comprising: a vessel having an internal space, the vessel defining anopening that extends to the internal space; a beverage material disposedin the internal space; a pierce-able membrane sealing the opening; and aclosure being a one-piece structure, the closure including: a bodyattached to the vessel and covering the opening; a pathway defined bythe closure, the pathway extending from a top of the closure to a bottomof the closure, wherein the pierce-able membrane occludes the pathway; amovable element positioned outside of the internal space and movablerelative to the body and the membrane, the movable element including anengagement surface, a piercing element extending from the engagementsurface and movable with the engagement surface to pierce the membrane,a channel defined by the moveable element to conduct flow of thebeverage material from the internal space, and a gas inlet portconfigured to deliver gas into the internal space through a hole in themembrane to force the beverage material to flow into the channel; and anannular diaphragm configured to allow movement of the movable elementrelative to the body while maintaining a seal between the pathway andareas outside of the closure.
 27. The beverage container of claim 26,wherein the annular diaphragm comprises a thinned region of the closure.28. The beverage container of claim 26, wherein the annular diaphragm isconfigured to limit movement of the movable element toward thepierceable membrane.
 29. The beverage container of claim 26, wherein thebody of the closure includes an engagement feature that defines athreaded engagement between the closure and the vessel at the opening.